Current-motor.



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BEN T. SAMS .AND WALTER H. HOUT, 0F WARRENSBURG, MISSOURI.

' CURRENT-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1d, i915.

Application filed July 15, 1914. Serial No. 851,076.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, BEN T. SAMS and WALTER H. HOUT, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of Varrensburg, in the county of Johnsonand State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Current Motor,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to current motors, and has reference moreparticularly to a water wheel in the shape of a spiral formed by a conesurface and mounted to float in a water current at a suitable angle tothe direction of the current with the cone surface of the spiral. Thecurrent motor vis further characterized by the provision in the spiralwheel thereof of means between the adjacent surfaces of the spiral forreceiving the maximum energy from the current and which means willprevent any back pressure during the operation of the wheel.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and eilicientcurrent motor of the spiral type which is adapted to support itself onthe fluid by which it is actuated. Y

l/Vith the above and other objects in view, the nature of which willmore fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists inthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinfully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the application, similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views,and Figure l is a perspective of a current motor embodying ourinvention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a fraction of the wheelshowing in dotted lines the various positions of the paddles as thevsaid part of the spiral emerges from the water; Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryperspective view of the spiral with the paddles therebetween showing inthe dotted lines the different positions thereof as the spiral with thepaddles enter the water; and Fig. 4- is a cross sec- -tion showing theconnection of the paddles with the spiral and the means limiting themovement of the paddles in a predetermined direction.

Before proceeding to a more detailed description of our invention, itmust be clearly understood that the provision o f a coneor funnel-shapedspiral without the paddles is in itself a power-producing machinesubstantially without any back pressure, and the addition of thefoldable paddles to this spiral greatly increases the etliciency of themotor. 'lhe said foldable paddles can be used with an y other shapedspirals and the efficiency of said` spirals will be increased, but thetotal efficiency of the motor will not be as large as when the saidpaddles are combined with a coneor funnel-shaped spiral.

Referring to the drawings, 5 represents a hollow shaft the ends of whichare hermetically sealed and supported in suitable bearings carried by asuitable support. rlhe ends of the shaft with its bearings and supportare not shown, as they do not form part of the invention. rlhe voluminaldisplacement of the shaft 5 in water is such as to sustain the spiraland the paddles carried thereby at least half submerged in. water. foundspirally on the shaft 5 is a coneshaped surface 6 forming on the shaft afunnel-shaped spiral between the adjacent cone surfaces of which paddles7 are provided. The said paddles 7 are preferably hinged to the concavesurface of the spiral, while the facing convex surface is provided withmembers 8 substantially parallel with the element of the cone surfaceand forming abutments for the corresponding non-hinged edge of thepaddles. Each member or abutment S prevents. any further movement of thecorresponding paddle past the plane passing through the aXis of thespiral. The number of paddles in each turn of the spiral will vary withthe diameter of the spiral, also the pitch of the spiral will vary inaccordance therewith.

Although any angularity less than 909 between the concave surface of theconeshaped spiral and the axis thereof will produce a good currentmotor, the maximum efficiency from the current is obtained by making theangulari'ty between the axis of the spiral and the concave surfacethereof equal substantially to 45. The paddles a, l), c, d and e of thesuccessive turns of the spiral are stepped relatively to each other Vsothat when the paddle e has reached a point where it would begin toproduce a bach pressure in its further movement 1f 1t were preventedfrom moving relatively to the spiral the paddle a is just entering thewater, while the intermediate paddles, that is, c and d, are in aposition such that the `water is pushing directly against them and Yitmaintaining said paddles against the members 8. The movement of thepaddle e as the same emerges from the water, is illustrated in Fig. 2.The dotted lines e', e, 6 and 6 indicate the gradual displacement ofsaid paddle c, as the same, after having done its work, reaches thepoint where the back pressure commences to equalize itself by theforward pressure produced by the currentgand due to the back pressurethe paddle `gives way and equalifzes the said back pressurev by slowlyfolding back against thei concave surface of 'the spiral, and lthe said'paddle moves upward and edgewise out of the water, as illustrated bythe consecutive `'dtted lines shown in Fig. 2. ',As -soon as't'his ypartof the spiral wheel passes lthe vertical plane, after it 'emerges fromwater, the force of gravity 'will swing the .paddle against thel'abutment 8 before it enters `:the `water level, the vsuccessivepositions of paddle e being lshown i'n Fig. 3 i'n dotted lineandindicated in el, e2, 6 'and e4. The stepped relation of the swingingor release paddles a Ito e inclusive'is such as to obtain a regular and'steady -mve'ment of ythe motor,*thereby obtaining a regular and steadypower. `fI'he .provision of the airtight hollow shaft 5, making themotor Vself supporting, eliminates the 'necessity of a complicatedYmechanism for raising and lowering 'the motor due t0 the change 'ofwater level. It may be remarked that any number of such motors may YworkVside by side ina stream, Ithe necessary arrangement being madefor-collecting the power independently or collectively from said motors.

y, The current strikes the concave lsurface ofthe spiral atan angleshown by the arrow in Fig. l. The paddles between the concave and convexsurfaces of the spiral form a dam or I'blockade for the directionl ofthe 'current Vso that water must push through ,and by so `,doing turnthe Nwheel or stop flowing.. The angle at which the current strikes theconcave surface of the wheel lmay-*be varied, but preferably it shouldnot strike the -spiralsurface at right angles to the V'axis' of thespiral yor parallelly thereto. Therefore, .the angle of variation iswithin 45 with the axis ofthe spiral.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the advantage of the construction and operationof the device shown will be readily understood by those skilled in theart to which the invention pertains, and while We have described theprinciple of operation, together with the device which we now considerto be the best embodiment thereof, we desire to haveiit understood thatthe device 'shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may bemade when desired as arel within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In a current motor, a funnel-shaped spiral, paddles associatedtherewith and positioned within the turns of said spiral, said paddlesadapted to close with the normally operative flow of the iuid againstthe motor.

2. In a current motor, a funnel-shaped spiral and paddles hinged to theconcave surface of said spiral within the turns thereof, said spiralhaving means limiting the movement of said paddles under the normallyoperative iiow of the fluid against the motor.

3. In a current motor, a 'funnel-shaped spiral, 'paddles hinged to theconcave surface of said spiral Vwithin each turn thereofand membersextending von the convex surface 'of said spiral adapted to formabutments for said paddles when the same are forced thereagainst underthe normally operative flow of the iiuid 'against the motor.

l. In a 'current motor, a funnel-shaped spiral, paddles hinged to theconcave surface of said spiral within each turn thereof, said paddlesbeing 'adapted to move on their hinges 4from the concave surface to thefacing convex surface of the spiral, and 'members xcarried Aby theconvex surface adapted to form an 'abutment foreach paddle when thepaddle is rengaged by the normally operative flow ofthe fluid.

5. In 'a current motor, a floating shaft, a funnel-shaped spiral on theshaft rigid therewith, paddles hinged to the concave surface of thespiral within the turns thereof, and 'means associated with lthe convexsurface 'of the spiral and adapted to co-act with each vof the paddlesand to arrest the movement of the same under the operative flow ofthefluid. n

16. In Va current motor, a spiral and a plurality 'of paddles in eachturn thereof, means connecting each paddle to the spiral and vpermittingthe movement of the paddle from the concave ysurface of the spiral tothe facing 'convex surface thereof, and means associated with the'spiral preventing each paddle from moving beyond a vplane passingthrough the axis of the spiral when said 'paddle moves under the normaloperative vflow yof the fluid.

7. In -a current motor, a 'spiral and paddles carried thereby andmounted to move relative to said spirals so as to engage opposite`spiral surfaces under the normal operative fl'o'w of the fluid.

8. In a current m'otor, a spiral and paddles carried thereby, 'saidpaddles being hinged to said spiral at predetermined intervals 'so thatopposite spiral surfaces are engaged by the paddles under the normaloperative flow -of the fluid.

9. In a current motor, a spiral, paddles carried thereby, meanspermitting the dislse placement of said paddles relative to saidspirals, and means associated with the spirals adapted to prevent thepaddles from passing beyond the aXis of the spiral when moved relativeto said spiral under the operative flow of the fluid.

10. In a current motor, a funnel-shaped spiral and paddles between theturns of said spiral adapted to engage the facing spiral surfaces underthe operative ilow of the fluid.

11. 1n a current motor, a hollow shaft having hermetically sealed ends,a funnelshaped spiral on said shaft, paddles hinged to the concavesurfaces of the spiral, and

means associated with the convex surface of the spiral and adapted toco-act with the paddles whereby said paddles are prevented from movingon said hinges under the operative How of the fluid beyond a planepassing through the axis of the spiral.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BEN. T. SAMS. WALTER H. HOUT.

Witnesses:

J. R. ROTHWELL, M. C. DRAPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1D. C.

